A study reveals that doubling atmospheric CO2 could raise Earth\u2019s average temperature by up to 14 degrees, far exceeding current UN estimates. The research, based on a 45-year-old Pacific Ocean drill core, highlights a stronger relationship between CO2 levels and temperature than previously understood. Doubling the atmospheric CO2<\/sub> levels could raise Earth\u2019s average temperature by 7 to 14 degrees Celsius (13 to 25.2 degrees Fahrenheit),<\/strong> according to sediment analysis from the Pacific Ocean near California conducted by researchers from NIOZ and the Universities of Utrecht and Bristol. \u201cThe temperature rise we found is much larger than the 2.3 to 4.5 degrees Celsius (4.1 to 8.1 degrees Fahrenheit) that the UN climate panel, IPCC, has been estimating so far,\u201d<\/strong> said the first author, Caitlyn Witkowski. The researchers used a 45-year-old drill core extracted from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. \u201c The results were recently published in the journal Nature Communications<\/em>. [It is worth working to reduce emissions so that we never get close to finding out if it is true or not.]<\/p>\n For decades, farmers across America have been encouraged by the federal government to spread municipal sewage on millions of acres of farmland as fertilizer.<\/strong> It was rich in nutrients, and it helped keep the sludge out of landfills. But a growing body of research shows that this black sludge, made from the sewage that flows from homes and factories, can contain heavy concentrations of chemicals thought to increase the risk of certain types of cancer<\/a> and to cause birth defects and developmental delays in children. Known as \u201cforever chemicals\u201d because of their longevity, these toxic contaminants are now being detected, sometimes at high levels, on farmland across the country, including in Texas, Maine, Michigan, New York and Tennessee.<\/strong> In some cases the chemicals are suspected of sickening or killing livestock and are turning up in produce. Farmers are beginning to fear for their own health. \u2014 Hiroko Tabuchi. <\/em>Read the full article here<\/a>. <\/em>[The climate link: forever chemicals, or PFAS, are in all of the refrigerants used for cooling and heat pumps. All of which are leaking into the atmosphere. So another unavoidable source of PFAS.]<\/strong><\/p>\n Global warming affects even the smallest among us. <\/strong>High temperatures seem to disrupt bumblebees\u2019 ability to smell, a sense they rely on to feed and pollinate. Exposing the antennae of two species of bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum <\/em>and Bombus terrestris<\/em>) to 40 oC heat for just 3 hours made them significantly less responsive to scent molecules, a change that persisted a day later<\/a>. \u201cThe results are pretty clear: There is an effect of heat waves on bumble bee physiology,\u201d says ecologist Coline Jaworski. Science | 5 min read<\/a><\/p>\n For all the water<\/a> you’ll ever use to wash your cotton T-shirt over its entire lifetime, it will have taken 50 times as much water to grow the cotton that went into it.<\/strong> Cotton uses about 2.3% of global arable land and accounts for 16% for all insecticide sales. And the fashion industry has been forced to reckon with allegations of forced labor<\/a> and poor working conditions<\/a> in certain cotton-harvesting regions. Boston-based startup Galy says its found an alternative that avoids all of these problems by growing cotton in a lab<\/em>. The company shared an evaluation by environmental consultancy Quantis to show that, at an industrial scale, its process reduces water use by 99%, land use by 97% and the negative impact of fertilizers by 91% when compared with conventional cotton. <\/strong>[Textiles contribute 8% of warming emissions globally.]<\/p>\n Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy says: <\/strong>Out this week, our new report<\/a>, Addressing climate change risks in import dependent and major food producing countries: An analysis of cereals production and trade flows, unveils the looming threat that climate change poses to global cereal production and trade, focusing on maize, rice and wheat <\/strong>\u2014 key staples that make up over 60% of our food calories. On the heels of the hottest year in 150 years, the report warns that shifting weather patterns are jeopardizing crop yields, increasing food prices and exacerbating hunger, particularly in vulnerable regions.<\/p>\n Alaska\u2019s permafrost is melting and revealing high levels of mercury that could threaten Alaska Native peoples. <\/strong>That\u2019s according to a new study released earlier this month by the University of Southern California, analyzing sediment from melted permafrost along Alaska\u2019s Yukon River. Researchers already knew that the Arctic permafrost was releasing some mercury, but scientists weren\u2019t sure how much. The new study \u2014 published in the journal Environmental Research Letters \u2014 found the situation isn\u2019t good: As the river runs west, melted permafrost is depositing a lot of mercury into the riverbank, confirming some of scientists\u2019 worst estimates and underscoring the potential threat to the environment and Indigenous peoples. \u201cPermafrost soil contains more mercury than all the other soil on the planet, plus all the oceans, plus the atmosphere,\u201d he said. \u201cSo there\u2019s an enormous amount of mercury sitting in these frozen soils where climate change is happening faster than the rest of the world. \u201cIt has that sense of a bomb that\u2019s going to go off,\u201d he added. <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Phoenix hits 100 consecutive days of triple digit maximum temperatures, leading to record-high power demand<\/a> and hundreds of heat-related fatalities.<\/strong><\/p>\n Federal Government Proposes Opening 31 Million Acres of Public Land for Solar Development: <\/strong>The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has released an update to its Western Solar Plan that increases the amount of land available for solar development from 22 million acres to 31 million acres, as Emma Penrod reports for Utility Dive<\/a>. The change, which was in response to comments from solar developers, is part of an effort by the Biden administration to speed up the permitting process for solar farms while also steering development away from areas with potential conflicts.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Biden administration awards tribal nations $300 million to fund programs aimed at combating climate change<\/a> and cutting greenhouse gas emissions,<\/strong> including about $113 million to tribes in Arizona<\/a>, Alaska and the Northwest<\/a> and Colorado<\/a>. (news release)<\/em><\/p>\n Leaders from several African countries have been in Beijing this week for the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation<\/a> (FOCAC), where Xi Jinping said \u201cChina and Africa will announce a new positioning of China-Africa relations\u201d, <\/strong>reported the Global Times<\/a>. On Thursday, Xi pledged $51bn over three years and promised the creation of at least 1 million jobs, Reuters<\/a> reported. People\u2019s Daily<\/a> published Xi\u2019s speech in full, in which he promised the funding would be used to \u201chelp Africa build \u2018green growth engines\u2019 [and] narrow the gap in energy accessibility\u201d, as well as develop 30 \u201cclean-energy\u201d projects. \u00a0<\/strong>Meanwhile, a separate SCMP<\/a> article said more than 60% of China\u2019s cobalt is supplied by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a key mineral used in electric vehicle batteries. Elsewhere, South Africa\u2019s Mail & Guardian<\/a> reported that China\u2019s mining presence in Africa is \u201cconcentrated in five countries: Guinea, Zambia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)\u201d, adding that the \u201crace for green energy [is] shaping relations between China and Africa\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n ****<\/p>\n Take Action<\/strong><\/p>\n In early July, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the first-ever national heat stress rule aimed at protecting workers from heat-related illnesses and fatalities. The initiative follows an increase in heat-related workplace incidents and is part of its broader effort to address the impacts of climate change on occupational health. According to OSHA,\u201cheat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States.\u201d The proposed standard would apply to all employers in general industry, construction, maritime, and agricultural sectors where OSHA has jurisdiction. It introduces key requirements aimed at protecting workers from the hazards of excessive heat, including designation of a heat safety coordinator, identification of heat hazards in both outdoor and indoor worksites, implementation of regular heat-risk assessments, and continuous monitoring of temperature and humidity levels, particularly during periods of extreme heat. The rule also mandates several preventive strategies to mitigate heat-related risks: hydration, rest breaks, and shade and cooling areas, all scaled to deal with the current weather conditions, a heat illness prevention plan; and an emergency medical response. Read the entire proposed rule here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n